20th Century Malaya Section Force 136 beret badge

[Tonomachi]

I was wondering if anyone knows if the beret badges pictured below are originals or copies. If you collect WW2 era British Special Forces insignia a very important reference is an out of print 1984 book by Len Whittaker titled, "Some talk of private armies". Unfortunately the color plates in this book only show the fronts of original insignia not the backs. These beret badges are cast just like the original badges were cast so it would be easy to make a cast copy from an original badge. So unless you had a documented original badge in hand you wouldn't be able to make a comparison using measurements as a guide as anything cast is always slightly smaller due to shrinkage.

 

This beret badge has for years has been erroneously known as the insignia for the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA). The scroll of this badge has the word Malaya in Chinese, English and Malay due to the make up of this group being Anglo, Chinese, Chinese Canadians, Malays, and Indians. The MPAJA being harden communist refused to wear this badge of the imperialists but they needed the funding and weapons supplied to them by the Allied Forces. However instead of using these resources to really fight the Japanese the bulk of these weapons and gold they received were squirreled away for the upcoming fight against British Colonialism post war referred to as the Malayan Emergency between 1948 through 1960. This badge is actually a Malay Section, Group B, Force 136 headgear insignia. Force 136 was a cover name for the British SOE (Special Operations Executive) operating in what we refer to as the China Burma India Theater of Operations. Force 136 was responsible for clandestine military action against the Japanese in Malaya. The beret badge was worn by members of Force 136 and other non-communist guerrilla groups with no affiliation with the MPAJA. Many years ago at a large west coast gun show I saw one of these badges for sale that was identified to an US OSS person and could kick myself for not recording the name. I couldn't afford what they were asking but this supposedly proved that there were a few Americans representing the OSS in Malaya with Force 136.

 

 

 

 

[Tonomachi]

Close up photo showing the different positions of the lugs. There is also a variant made of aluminum that is filled in with both black and red paint.

[Gunslinger]

No dice IMO. These were Locally made cast in either Brass or Silver.

 

Attached is an Original Force 136 Malaya section badge from Henry Fung courtesy of the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver, B.C.

 

 

 

 

 

CDub

[Gunslinger]

Some images of Henry Fund wearing the badge posted above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images are Courtesy of the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver, B.C.

 

 

Here is the web link : http://www.ccmms.ca/veteran-stories/army/henry-fung/

 

CDub

 

 

 

 

[ParaOps]

Agreed. The badge I have is similiar to the one posted by Gunslinger.

 

Paul

[Tonomachi]

No dice IMO. These were Locally made cast in either Brass or Silver.

 

Attached is an Original Force 136 Malaya section badge from Henry Fung courtesy of the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver, B.C.

 

Force 136 Malaya Badge.JPG

 

Force 136 Malaya Badge 2.JPG

 

Force 136 Malaya Badge 3.JPG

 

 

CDub

 

No dice IMO. These were Locally made cast in either Brass or Silver.

 

Attached is an Original Force 136 Malaya section badge from Henry Fung courtesy of the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver, B.C.

 

Force 136 Malaya Badge.JPG

 

Force 136 Malaya Badge 2.JPG

 

Force 136 Malaya Badge 3.JPG

 

 

CDub

Thanks for posting this badge as this genuine example is different from the ones in my collection pertaining to the way the rear lugs are attached to the metal. So it would appear I have copies instead of the real badge.

[Mortaydc60]

Very interesting post. Is there a significance to red or black versions? Have seen replica's sell for about $100 so what are real examples worth? Could you explain the difference in lug attachments in more detail please? Is it that in the replica's they are soldered on separatetely and not cast as one piece? Thanks for your help.